The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-01-21

To-day 1t Is Almost Impossible to Get .
Decent Specimen.


American humor is becoming rather
scarce. True, Bill Nye. Opie p. Read,
Eugene Field. and j. Whitcomb Riley
gives us the benefit of n hearty laugh
every now and thee. but. all the same.
tho genuine article is not as plentiful as
might be. A few wears ago the literary
markets of the world were overstocked
with American humor, but somehow or
other tho stuff spoiled on the hands of
the first purchasers, and to-day it is al
most impossible TO get decent speci-
men of pure, original humor. Artemus
Ward was about the first American hui
morist. There were few before his
day, but they were sad failures. A.
Ward was genuine humorist, and,
though dead for some years, his works
are as readable rs ever Ward had
host of imitators, with Josh Billings in
the lead; but his imitators were rascally
frauds, there being no more original
humor In the whole batch OF them than
there might be found in any jaekass
with well-filled belly. After the Civil
War Artemus Ward died, and with him
(thank Heavenly went his many imita-
tors. Then came another batch of hui
smorists to the front. Mark Twain in
troduced himself to the public with his
jumping Frog" Bret Harte became
famous through his Heather Chinee,"
John Hay made us smile with his .'Lit-
tie Breechcs," Petroleum V. Nasty
jumped to the front with his "Confeder-
ate X Roads" letters. The Danbury
NeOs man even won fame with his do
nestle mishaps. Max Adler wrote some
al %ko& L.,
Then the Detroit Free Press broke out
in weak spot and another humorlst
was born. Eli Perkins spread 100000
circulars over the country in trying to
convince the public that he, too, was
humorist. The Burlington Haaokeye
also gave birth to a funny imp and
christened it Robert Burdette.
Then George w. Peck came to the
front with his bad Boy" and kept US
in hot water for the time being. Carl
Prctzel entertained us with his Dutch
dialect. Jackson, the Boston Courier
man, ticklcd our ribs with his rhythmical
nonsense, and White, the horse editor
of the Chicago Tribune, made us laugh
over his Lakeside Musings"
But, alas for human vanity! these hui
morists we have named have all gone
to grass. Mark Twain is real hui
morist, and has given the world some
amusing things. but he has finished his
| work He has given the world his best,
| and will never startle us with another
jumping Frog" story or make us shed
tears with him over the grave of Adam.
Bret Harte still lives to manufacture
wretched poetry, but he has had his
| day, and although comparatively
young man we doubt if he will ever
| produce anything that will rank in
merit with his Heather Chinec," or
THE Luck OF Roaring Camp" John
| Hay is still alive, but his once famous
'Pike County Ballads" are rs dead as
| door nail. Nasty still writes, but his
readers are few and far between.
Bailey, the Danbury Neios man, went TO
grass shortly after he published his first
book. There was some good humor in
Bailey, but too much of the sort, and
| well, people grew tired of it. Max Adj
Ter thought lie would astonish the world
| with his humor. He managed to do
pretty well with his "Hurly-Burly," but
when he brought out his second funny
volume the reading public grew sick,
and vomited up even the good things
that Adler gave in his first funny vol
ume. Lewis, the Detroit Free Press man
published II book of his funny sayings,
but the work fell flat and was dead
loss to the publishers.
All the others named are dead and
buried, for all we know of them now.
The few who have taken their places
arc quite clever entertainers, and are
doing their level best TO amuse us, but
they ate having IN uphill job of it.
This thing of grinding out laughable
mntler for newspapers is not what it is
cracked up to be. There is big room
for :, new original humorlst, but he
must give us something new--no penny
puns,er or chestnut hack-worker 10
| ,v.,nfod Cincinnati EDoujre,.